“Well, Beatrice,” Viola said, “not exactly a note you could hold to your heart and treasure forevermore.”
“I think I’d prefer to keep Van Dorenaliveand hold him to my heart and treasure him forevermore,” Beatrice said.
This sentiment was received very well by Van Doren, but prompted a very distinct eye roll from Juliet, as she knew it drove him mad.
“That’s enough teasing of Van Doren, I think,” the earl said.
“Very well, Papa,” Juliet said. “To make you happy, I will even extend an olive branch. When we go to the Lyceum to see Madame Tussaud’s wax figures, he may come. We plan it for Tuesday.”
“Very magnanimous,” Van Doren said.
“She never did say what the wax figures were,” Cordelia said, “but we think it’s likely to be faeries and woodland sprites.”
“Yes, I think it must be some sort of magical forest scene,” Viola said, “what else could it be?”
“That would be ever so charming,” Viola said.
And so it was determined that they would allow Van Doren to come along, though he did not seem to feel the honor of it. Or wish to go.
Now they had gone into dinner.
“Rosalind, you must tell me of where you have been so far,” Beatrice said. “Have you gone to Almack’s yet?”
“Indeed, it was most pleasant once I got over the hurdle of being introduced to Lady Jersey,” Rosalind said.
“Conbatten approached Rosalind, to be put on her card,” Darden said. “Conbatten, you understand.”
“The duke took me into supper.”
“She ordered him to,” Darden said. “Father, you must tell Rosalind she is not to order a duke about. Not that duke, in particular.”
The earl laughed and said, “I presume His Grace is well able to fend for himself.”
“I thought he was very handsome, Beatrice,” Rosalind said.
“I suppose what Rosalind means to say,” Juliet said, “is that she cannot imagine why Beatrice did not pick him instead of…you know.”
Amidst Beatrice’s peals of laughter, Van Doren said, “I sometimes wonder at it myself.”
“You certainly do not,” Beatrice said, looking at him with rather lovestruck eyes.
“Perhaps not,” Van Doren admitted.
Rosalind noted Juliet’s crestfallen expression. So often these days, they would try to get a rise out of Van Doren and he would confound them by being pleasant.
“Why couldn’t you be in love with Conbatten, instead of this mysterious gent you saw out of a carriage window?” Darden asked Rosalind. “After all, somebody has got to tie him down one of these days. It would be very pleasant to be related by marriage.”
Rosalind ignored the sentiment. Poor dear Darden’s vision was clouded to what was right before him. He was too taken up with his own feelings about Conbatten to ever register her own.
Chapter Eight
“Rosalind, what isthis about a gentleman out of a carriage window?” Beatrice asked.
“Indeed,” Rosalind said, “I saw a magnificent gentleman out of my carriage window and am looking forward to when he might present himself to me.”
There was a long silence over the table, then Cordelia said, “Beatrice, Rosalind went to a musical evening last night.”
Beatrice nodded and Rosalind knew she understood the game—the gentleman out the carriage window was a secret just now.
